Chapter 50

Chapter 50

Cradling her head, Naomi wiped the sweat from Mia's brow. Her cough was worse than ever now, her fever raging.

‘Water, I need some water …'

The word tumbled from Mia's cracked lips. Immediately, Naomi felt her stomach tighten, glancing at the two empty bottles that lay beside them. Desperate, she picked up the nearest one and, squeezing it with all her might, shook it back and forth. A tiny droplet of vapour emerged from the mouth of the bottle, but it was too inconsequential to trouble gravity, drifting away into the ether before it could make contact with Mia's lips. This failure seemed to taunt the stricken teen, whose eyes now filled with tears.

‘What shall we talk about?'

Naomi's voice was high-pitched and tight. She was all at sea, but knew that somehow she had to keep Mia distracted.

‘I know,' she continued quickly. ‘Why don't you tell me more about you? I've told you about my situation, my mum, the billion mistakes I've made. Why don't you tell me more about you?'

For a moment, Naomi thought her fellow captive had misunderstood the question, Mia looking confused and uncertain, but then a look of profound sadness gripped her. Naomi didn't want to upset her friend, but at least it was a reaction, signs of life.

‘Not much to tell,' she eventually croaked.

‘I'm sure there is,' Naomi encouraged. ‘You've told me about your time on the streets. But what about before that? Did you have a mum? A dad? Siblings?'

Again, Mia looked downcast, but eventually she responded:

‘Mum left when I was four, ran off with another guy. Dad … Dad sort of fell apart after that. He did what he could … but he was always drinking, trying to blot out his shame, his loneliness. I had to bring up myself and my little brother, had to get clothes and food. I used the food bank but I still needed money for the gas and electric. I did the best I could, a bit of thieving, bit of shoplifting. Council soon got on to us, wanted to take us into care, so me and Freddie ran away from home. Lived by our wits for a few weeks, but they caught up with us in the end. Still, they were fun times, just me and my kid brother, doing what we wanted, when we wanted …'

‘Tell me about him,' Naomi said quickly, desperate to find something positive to talk about.

And now that magical smile once more graced Mia's ravaged features.

‘Freddie was the dead spit of me,' she breathed, beaming at the memory. ‘But twice as naughty. When we were in care, I took endless hidings for him, but I didn't care. He was a great kid and he loved me, really loved me …'

Tears sparkled in her red-rimmed eyes now, the memories bittersweet.

‘We got tattoos done when I was twelve and he was ten. The social workers didn't like that, but we didn't care. Showed we were part of the same team, together forever. Of course that didn't last and they split us up. They should never have done that …'

Now in her emotion, Mia began to cough again, angrily, violently. Pulling her towards her, Naomi embraced her patient, keeping her fully vertical until the hacking stopped.

‘So he's still out there? Freddie, I mean?'

‘I guess so,' Mia whispered. ‘I haven't seen him in years.'

‘Then live for him,' Naomi insisted. ‘Stay strong for him.'

Lowering Mia back to the ground, Naomi stared directly into her eyes, stroking her cheek.

‘He's still out there, he still loves you, and once we get out, we'll find him. I swear on my life we will track him down and you will be together again. Maybe you can get some more tattoos done?'

Mia smiled happily, then closed her eyes once more, seeking peace. This time Naomi left her unmolested, happy that the coughing had subsided, that her breathing was regular. It had been a troubling few hours and though Mia's equilibrium had been restored, Naomi knew the respite would be brief. Mia's strength was waning, her resolve fading. Their captor's absence was inexplicable and if he didn't arrive soon, Naomi felt sure it would be too late.

‘Please stay with me,' she whispered gently, her voice shaking as distress mastered her. ‘Don't leave me down here by myself.'

She hadn't meant to say this, hadn't meant to lay this on Mia, but she couldn't help herself. Suddenly Naomi saw with awful clarity that if Mia died down here, if she did finally give up her desperate struggle to survive, then Naomi would be left without a friend in the world.